Suppression of transcription termination by phage lambda.

The bacteriophage lambda N gene product positively controls development by preventing termination of transcription at terminator sites critical to the sequential expression of phage genes. Many host transcription factors, including RNA polymerase, are involved in N gene action. Recent findings have shown that ribosomal proteins are also involved. The current understanding of how the N protein affects transcription termination is reviewed, and a possible model and current problems are discussed.